We stopped off for a few drinks at Real Sports bar on the way before heading into the Air Canada Centre for the match - Toronto Maple Leafs were the local team and are bizarrely the most valuable franchise in the league, and that's despite not winning anything since the 60's. Another equally odd stat is that every home game has been sold out just as long, so the fans loyalty certainly can't be questioned here with the team being so shit.
The arena itself is a really good venue - good facilities, not too massively ridiculously priced for food and booze (you can buy from your seat even) and the game was pretty much what I thought it would be - fast paced and easy entertainment, especially compared to other North American sports with their massively long running times, and we couldn't have got better seats. I didn't quite grasp any positional play or tactics, nor could I understand the perennial substitutions (the team's players just change constantly at will) but I still very much enjoyed it, even with the disappointing lack of fights. I think the match finished something like 4-0 to the Maple Leafs in the end, a rare recent home win for the team and it definitely made for a good atmosphere the rest of the night. Always amazing how a good sports team result has such an effect on a city's night life after. Alfie didn't disappoint either, with the 20,000 seater Air Canada became yet another place on his long list of nap venues. Unreal. It wouldn't quite be North America without some odd crowd interaction stuff throughout the game though - they basically tell the crowd when to cheer, make constant announcements and promos, play silly video screen games to see who's the wackiest person in the crowd (they're all worthy of that title) and my own personal favourite bit was when they brought out a former player to sing happy birthday to him, stalling the game. The players literally had to stand and wait on the ice until the crowd had finished singing Happy Birthday before the could start playing again. I was half expecting Cliff Richard to come out and sing Summer Holiday, that's how fucking weird it was. That aside, t'was really good and i'd definitely go regularly given the chance. Don't think my bank account could afford the insane ticket prices though.
Once the game was over we jumped on the street car (a tram) and headed straight over to Ossington for a big'un. A nice little area with plenty of bars but not too busy to the point where they attract the mass arseholes you find in the more populous places. The first bar we 'stumbled' across turned out to be a pretty amazing burlesque bar, at least I think it was, I really wasn't 100% sure, but suppose if you're letting girls get their tasseled boobs out on the bar for a good ol'shake, then you're not going to be anything else. For some ridiculous reason we decided it would be the best plan of action to order two drinks at a time, jaeger bombs and whiskey ginger no less, not that I've ever had whiskey ginger before and that combination soon made the rest of the night a blur. It really is ridiculous how much and how fast we drink at times, then wonder why we can never remember getting home the next day. To be honest, I can barely even remember going to any other bars after we started hitting them double double's quickly, the only real memories of the night were a bit of G-funk era and Cypress Hill getting played in the burlesque bar, KanYe's Runaway being played in Sweaty Betty's, us both looking for the DJ so we could tell him how shit he was only to be met with a person with a macbook (always a sign you've had too much, that one), and finally us becoming temporary friends with some randoms. I imagine we were talking absolute shit by that point, as except for the tasche and the photos, I couldn't tell you anything about them. Class night though.
The rest of the week was pretty relaxed before I headed off back home. I managed to get some presents for people back home at the Eaton Centre, including an amazingly cool bear suit for Sonny. I had to ask if they did it in adult sizes, since it looked like the single most comfiest thing of all time but unfortunately it was a no go. I did manage to save about £60 on a pair of jeans from Sears at least, so not too bad work. We also went for a couple of nice meals - Khao San road restaurant on my last night was a lovely slice of nostalgia from my time in Thailand and a much more visually appealing setting than the actual place, the food was nearly up there with the street markets but not quite as proficient at making me look like I'm weeping, no Mushroom Shakes either. The latter is probably a good thing mind. Hot Wings was even better though, all these sushi, Italian, and curry houses are all well and nice but a fuck off slab of BBQ meat is much more my scene and they certainly didn't disappoint on the portion size there. The rack of ribs was up there with the biggest I've had but still didn't last long. Amazing. Other highlights included a man casually knitting in subway (you don't get that in South Shields), watching The Rock showing everyone else how it's done at Survivor Series, Afie cooking a cracking Sunday Roast and I had a nice walk around the University/Government buildings in the North of the city.
I had intended to visit Niagara Falls but wasn't that bothered when the time came, and those type of things are never the same by yourself. I did want to go up the CN Tower though and Alfie hadn't been yet, so we made the trip up there, which was definitely well worth it. The lifts up the tower reach quite the speed so you fly up there in no time. The first viewing level was quite good but the mesh fencing there is a bit intrusive. However, the higher level 'SkyPod' was much better and the view of the lake, Rogers Centre and city from there was incredible. It would easily have the beating of the Empire State Building if the city was as vibrant as New York. You couldn't last too long outside, with the wind being so strong at such a height that it almost makes you feel like you're in the middle of a wind tunnel. They've also installed a glass floor on one of the platforms, enabling you to look straight down to the city underneath your feet, which is quite cool if stomach turning at the same time, didn't hang about on those bits too long. Especially when grown men are lying on the floor around you taking photos. Once again, definitely worth the dollar spent.
Not much to add to wrap it up except that Toronto joins Melbourne and New York on my favourite cities list and I had such a good time there. I'd definitely love to go again, and i think it'd be even better in the summer. So definitely two macca thumbs up from me
Song for the Day - KanYe West
